Of little words and bigger dreams

I was interested and aghast at the parallels and oft unfounded assumptions made in such articles as this.
Which were equalised somewhat by these articles.
My point being that despite what all and sundry assume, guess, speculate, or blame. No one person can categorically tell or diagnose why a child has speech issues which limit their expressive/ receptive speech, their syntax, their irregular patterns of pronunciation has such problems. I abhor placing children ( or adults) in the diagnostic boxes created societies need to categorise and label. This is further enforced by Government red tape and sub agencies ( yes, Centrelink, Education Department and Health funds, I am looking at you!!!). There are more children being diagnosed earlier with speech delays but because of positive actions like more maternal child welfare resources, associated welfare and children programs at community health centres,more funded early intervention programs, recognition of possible developmental delays in relation to premature births ( of which the success rate has increased allowing many more premature bubs to survive and thrive), proactive monitoring of premmies by MCHN's and GPs so early onset of any delays are actioned and therapy commenced where appropriate.

As recently as 2005, the Victorian Department Of Education recognised severe language disorders (SLD) as a a genuine issue requiring funding for assistance in schools. This was withdrawn in the 2005 school year leaving many parents without speech therapy or assistance for their barely verbal and often non verbal children in schools. The World Health Organisation accepted level for speech ability in children WORLDWIDE is a score of 71, in Australia we accept 67. Now in perspective a score of 67 is relative to the comprehension ( receptive) skills of a 3.5 year old- 3year old with little or no knowledge of opposites , prepositions, common nouns, syntax, sentence structure. A score of 67 in expressive language would mean pronunciation of words would be disembodied, mixed and often showing no real pattern in the mispronunciation( dyspraxia) THIS is the benchmark we allow bureaucrats to place before our children as the acceptable level of achievement to attain, this is the line in the sand for having an aide in the classroom or not for your barely understandable child.

I challenge anyone who claims TV, PCs or any other of the theorems sprouted by the uninitiated to our world of mumbles, signs and frustrations; to spend a day with any of our children in their school and home environment and then try and justify the theory in a relative matter to what they see. Parents strive for all these children's needs to be addressed so they may be able to learn, work and undertake a role in society. We are poleaxed by red tape, funding issues, bias,unknowledgable guesses, and unkind theories. We stand united by the ideal that our children , although often silent or unintelligible, have a right to a voice and those voices sound long, loud and clear as a warning bell in a silent bay.